Canmore Bighorn archery hunt
Contributors to this thread:Wild Sheep
From: DuckhunterBrad
04-Sep-19
I’m looking into the Canmore Alberta archery bighorn hunt. The search feature for bowsite seems to not be working(could be my ipad) and I couldn’t come up with any information. Who’s the recommended outfitter for this hunt? Suggestions for the hunt? I’m looking at booking for 2021 or 22.
Would love to hear of previous experiences on this hunt!
From: kscowboy
04-Sep-19
Frank Simpson is pretty much synonymous with that hunt. That being said, I know Dustin Roe has guided hunters in the past up there too.
From: elkmtngear
04-Sep-19
elkmtngear's Link
Here's an excellent write-up from 2018
http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=481022&messages=108&forum=12
From: kota-man
04-Sep-19
Simpsons, Guinns and I believe Dustin Roe now has a couple tags near Canmore. All three would provide a quality experience IMO. I know Mark Watkins hunted with Simpsons and killed on day 1. Madtrapper has also done this hunt a time or three. :) BustaRib had an EPIC hunt with Simpsons as well. Several others here have done the hunt as well.
EDIT: Based on information below, I believe Simpsons and Guinns are the only archery only hunts being offered in Canmore.
From: Bou'bound
04-Sep-19
Bou'bound's Link
classic thread link below
From: kota-man
04-Sep-19
Thanks for the link Grant...That still ranks up there as one of my favorite all-time threads on Bowsite ever.
From: Nick Muche
04-Sep-19
I'll just keep dreaming! Best of luck finding something and good luck on what I believe to be the holy grail of all hunting in North America. Someday....
From: Quick Draw 1
04-Sep-19
First thing to accept is that there is nothing "slam dunk" about this hunt. It is very, very weather dependent. (As in the worse the weather, the better your chances. Need really cold weather and snow to drive the rams out of the park, and into the zone.) I spent 22 days on the mountain in 2016, and we never saw a legal ram. Sheep everywhere.....just nothing legal. The problem: the weather was great. Got only a small amount of snow, and temperatures never really got extreme (at least not by Alberta standards.) While lots of guys are fortunate to be successful with only one trip, many guys have had to do this hunt multiple times. (And it's not getting any cheaper.) I went with Guinn, and had a great experience (in spite of not getting a sheep). He gets two tags. Frank has multiple tags, and is also a great guy. I'm re-booked for 21, and hoping for lots of snow!
From: kscowboy
04-Sep-19
Quick is right. A few years ago, not certain of the year, the archers had their butts handed to them. It wasn't due to a lack of knowledge and effort. Some of the best guides in the business were guiding and just about everyone came up short that season.
From: Quick Draw 1
04-Sep-19
Yes sir, ksc. That would have been '16. A few sheep taken. But most of us carried our butts out in backpacks. Nobody to blame. Just the way it goes. You are correct...some amazing guides up there. From talking to lots of people that have done it, I'm guessing that if you average out the success over a number of years, you're still looking at a 50/50, maybe 60/40 hunt. Would be interested in what others think, that have experienced it.
From: Zackman
04-Sep-19
I shouldn’t be watching this thread, but I can’t help it...
From: loesshillsarcher
04-Sep-19
I went awhile back and had a thread about it. Follow Bustarib's gear recommendations and you should be fine. I didn't take crampons but wish I had. Not a slam dunk for sure. Guinn and Simpsons are the outfitters. I wasn't aware of Dustin getting tags until now if it is true.
From: kscowboy
04-Sep-19
I just texted Dustin and he's not booking Canmore hunts. I believe he's guided this hunt though. Both Guinn and Simpson have stellar reputations, so either one would be a great choice. Talk to both and go with your gut. Good luck!
From: kota-man
04-Sep-19
Huh...I thought there was someone else with a couple tags, besides Simpson and Guinn. Obviously, it’s not Dustin, anyone know who?
Zack...With your love of the cold and snow, you NEED to do this hunt. ;)
From: Zackman
04-Sep-19
I hunt deer in November!
From: duckhunterbrad
04-Sep-19
Thanks for all the advice. I will be calling Guinn and Simpson over the next few days. Those hunt recaps make the anticipation that much worse!
From: Rackmastr
05-Sep-19
What an amazing hunt and experience to be in Canmore in November. Some pretty crazy conditions that will test you, but its one of my strongest memories of hunting in my life. I hunted it in 2010 and wasn't successful. Ended up hitting and not recovering a nice ram on the 27th of November in -38 weather. He was walking around Dec 1st healthy and chasing ewes. Haunted me and caused me to put the bow away for 5 years.
I wish I could go do that hunt again. I love reading the threads, watching videos, seeing pics of the area, etc. Its a nasty hunt but likely will be one of the most memorable for a lot of reasons!
From: Busta'Ribs
05-Sep-19
Call Flint Simpson. I spoke with him a couple weeks ago and he had a pretty good deal on a cancellation hunt for this November. Simpson has six of the eight tags, Guinn has the other two. There isn’t anyone else guiding Canmore. If this is something you want to do and it’s at all possible, then find a way to do it. I went twice over a six year period and both were cancellation hunts at a greatly reduced rate. There was no other way I could have afforded it. It’s a lot more money now, but it’s not gonna get any cheaper, so figure out a way and go do it. And most guys do get an opportunity if you are willing to hunt hard. It’s a tough hunt for sure, but you will probably get a chance during the hunt. If you hunt hard and leave it all on the mountain, Flint really will do everything he can to get you an opportunity,
From: kscowboy
05-Sep-19
Brad, I sent you a PM.
From: DEMO-Bowhunter
05-Sep-19
Anyone have a link for the gear review thread?
I need to see what gear I'll have to borrow from Zack after...
From: DuckhunterBrad
05-Sep-19
DEMO if you find the thread please pass it along!
From: kota-man
05-Sep-19
So technically Scott, you'll be "borrowing" the stuff from me THROUGH Zack.
From: Mark Watkins
05-Sep-19
I got 56 days of alpine adventures in getting four sheep bow killed.
But I got "shortchanged" in Canmore with a 1 1/2 hour Bighorn hunt!
Mad Trapper is going to kill me for that last comment.
I would definitely do this hunt again and go with Simpsons...Excellent operators, great guys and they know Canmore and sheep hunting like no other!
Michael Simpson and Tee Jensen are both world class sheep guides!
Good luck!
Mark
From: Mark Watkins
05-Sep-19
DEMO, you can borrow my gear as we are about the same size...short!
Mark
From: Busta'Ribs
05-Sep-19
Busta'Ribs's Link
This is a little dated now but most of this stuff will probably still be a good choice for a Nov hunt in Canmore if it’s a cold year.
From: DEMO-Bowhunter
05-Sep-19
Well then, thanks to Mark and Cory for offering to lend me gear for a hunt I'm not sure I want to do, but I have to say that reading thru Busta's thread today sorta makes it interesting even if I was freezing the entire time!! Oh, are we really short Mark??
From: Matt
05-Sep-19
One of you is.
From: Nick Muche
05-Sep-19
Matt's got jokes and he's shorter than all us :)
From: loesshillsarcher
05-Sep-19
I cannot find my thread but I hope it may help inspire someone to go. My ram was small in comparison to Chris's. lol It was, however, a beautiful animal that means a lot to me. Perhaps someone can find it to help this current thread. Good memories made in the Canmore. It is no joke as Chris says!!
From: DEMO-Bowhunter
05-Sep-19
Lol! Nick! I think Matt came to terms with his Munchkin status a long time ago!
From: Busta'Ribs
06-Sep-19
Small, medium or jumbo, any Canmore ram is a well earned trophy. Honestly, killing a B&C ram for me was a matter of perseverance and finally finding a group of legal rams after a long, cold hunt. The rams we found all just happened to be giants. Lucky for us, and lucky one presented a shot. I have so much respect for guys that consistently kill sheep and other high country species with a bow, no matter what the score of the animal may be, because I know from experience just how much work it takes to get it done.
From: Towaliga
14-Aug-23
Bumping this thread up. Anyone else hunted Canmore rocky bighorns lately? Im doing research and dreaming of a 2026 hunts
From: Medicinemann
14-Aug-23
PM sent.
From: Rackmastr
14-Aug-23
I hunted it in 2010 as a resident. If theres any info I can provide feel free to reach out.
